The animation upgrade won’t just be restricted to the torso either; it will also carry on to a players face. In FIFA 07, a player won’t just run around like a mindless zombie anymore. EA have allowed players to have what’s know as ‘procedural awareness’. Instead of simply looking in front of them, players will accurately track the balls progress throughout the pitch. Players can also now look for passing options when on the ball too.
Also receiving a complete overhaul is the ‘first-touch’ system, which is mapped to the right thumbstick. You can now play the ball in various directions, depending on where you flick the stick. Prolific players, such as Ronaldinho, will be able to use the first touch system to their advantage even more so. When taking defenders on, one flick can take the ball around them with ease. And if you are good enough, you can even meet it on the other side. It is all meant to further the control of the game, and it certainly sounds very interesting.
Ball physics in action
In terms of modes, FIFA is now even better before. Manager mode in particular has had a lot of attention garnished on it, and is now really intuitive. You can at last play with any team you desire, and this time all simulations on matches can be done in real time. It seems as though EA have looked closely at how games such as LMA Manager present simulated games, and this has alluded to FIFA’s simulations having more than a striking resemblance to them. Of course, you can still play through matches yourself, but for those who want to get through a season quickly, you will be catered for.
On Xbox Live, gamers will be surprised to hear the many different options EA have provided this time round. You can now play in your very own leagues; all created and managed by you. Not only that, but EA have introduced ‘Interactive Leagues’ which are proving a massive hit with players of the current generation versions already. Each week, you can play as your favourite team against their opponents, who are represented by one of their fans also. The winner gains three points, which is then transferred to a custom league table online all in real-time. There is a possibility that you could potentially see a team such as Sheffield United winning the league at the end of each season, depending on how well their fans represent them in the game itself.
FIFA 07 looks to be the must have football title of this year. It has undergone some pretty drastic changes, but this only results in a better game for the fans that really matter; the gamers. For once, FIFA could actually prove to be the better game than Pro Evolution Soccer. Whilst we don’t know just how the game will turn out, if the new engine is anything to go by, FIFA could well be the best football game released for quite some time.
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